ACC2000: Permissions Needed to Run Microsoft Access from a Shared Network Installation (208768)

SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Access on a network workstation, you may receive the following error messages:

The file or folder 'MSACCESS.EXE' that this shortcut refers to cannot be found.

When you try to open a database that resides on a shared network folder, you receive the following error message:

The database '<dbname>' is read-only.

You won't be able to save changes made to data or object definitions in this database.

-or-

The database '<dbname>' will be opened read-only because one of the following occurred:

The file is locked for editing by another user, or the file (or the folder in which it is located,) is marked as read-only, or you specified that you wanted to open this file read-only

RESOLUTION

To start Microsoft Access from a shared network installation, make sure that the shared folder containing Msaccess.exe has at least read permissions assigned to the appropriate users or groups (or both).

To open a read/writeable database from a shared network location, verify that the database file does not have the read-only attribute enforced. Then make sure the users or groups (or both) have at least read and write permissions on the database file. Users or groups (or both) are given at least read and change permissions on the shared folder.

In Novell NetWare environments, you may have to also explicitly assign create permissions to Novell users or groups (or both) in order for .ldb files to be created at the time the database is opened.

MORE INFORMATION

In earlier versions of Microsoft Access, a Workdir folder was created, and it was important that you applied the correct network permissions to this folder. In Microsoft Access 2000, the Workdir folder is no longer used; however, network permissions are still an important factor when running Access from a shared network location and when accessing a shared database from the network.

To verify that the problem that you are having is caused by incorrect permissions on the shared network folder, try logging on to the workstation as the Administrator of the network, and then restart Microsoft Access to see if you encounter the same errors.

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

Create a folder on your file server named Off2KSetup, and then share the folder.
Copy Disc 1 of the Microsoft Office 2000 CD to this new folder.
On a workstation, connect to the shared folder, and then install Access 2000 on the workstation.
After the installation is finished, return to the server, and then remove all permissions for the subfolder. Return to the workstation, and then try to start Microsoft Access. Note that you receive the first error that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section of this article.
Remove all permissions for the subfolder, and then assign read permissions to the appropriate users or groups (or both). Return to the workstation, and then try to open the database. Note that you receive the second error that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

REFERENCES

For more information about the use of an Access database in a network environment, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type share an access database on a network in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

For more information about .ldb files in Microsoft Access, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

208778 ACC2000: Introduction to .ldb Files